Arrangement for closing a kelly-cock supported on a rotary swivel with a stem therefrom

ABSTRACT

Support means is carried on a rotary swivel with which rotary swivel a kelly-cock is connected. Means are connected to the kelly-cock for closing the valve in the kelly-cock upon movement of such means. A driver means is carried by the support means and movable relative to the support means for moving the means connected to the kelly-cock to effect closing thereof, and means are provided to effect movement of said driver means relative to the support means for operation of the device.

United States Patent 1191 Kubelka, Jr.

[ ARRANGEMENT FOR CLOSING A KELLY-COCK SUPPORTED ON A ROTARY SWIVEL WITH A STEM THEREFROM Filed:

Inventor: Joseph R. Kubelka, J12, 1100 Mary Lee St., Franklin, La. 70538 Oct. 3, 1972 Appl. NO.: 294,663

U.S. Cl 251/58; 251/634 Int. Cl. Fl6k 31/143 Field of Search 251/62, 63.4, 58, 340',

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Veenschoten 251/58 Spengler 92/132 X Lacoste 251/58 X Simon 137/53 June 3, 1975 3,007,669 11/1961 Fredd 251/58 x 3,275,011 9/1966 Berezansky et a1 137/53 3,610,568 10/1971 Duwe 251/58 3,765,438 10/1973 DBSClaSCiO... 251/58 X 3,806,082 4/ 1974 Kellner 251/58 Primary Examiner-Arnold Rosenthal Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jack W. Hayden [57] ABSTRACT 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures ARRANGEMENT FOR CLOSING A KELLY-COCK SUPPORTED ON A ROTARY SWIVEL WITH A STEM THEREFROM SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the drilling of wells by the rotary method, a swivel is supported by a traveling block in the derrick and such swivel is provided with a gooseneck to which is connected a hose for conducting drilling fluids through the rotary swivel. The rotary swivel is also provided with a stem depending therefrom to which is connected a kelly-cock and connected to the lower end of the kelly-cock is a noncircular member referred to as a kelly or kelly stem. The kelly stern extends downwardly from the kelly-cock to the floor of the drilling rig and is there engaged by the rotary table so that rotation may be imparted to the kelly and the drill string depending therefrom and into the earths surface.

As drilling progresses, the rotary swivel and kelly are gradually lowered to and through, respectively, the rotary table until it is necessary to add an additional joint of pipe to the drill string. When this occurs, the drill string is elevated in the derrick by means of the traveling block and the crown block at the top of the derrick by means of the drawworks and the kelly is disconnected from the drill string and while the drill string is supported in the rotary table by what is commonly referred to as slips, another section of pipe is connected to the kelly and this section of drill pipe is then connected to the drill string extending upwardly from the rotary in the derrick. Thereafter, drilling operations continue.

Not infrequently during drilling operations, a well may tend to blow out, or other conditions occur which require the closure of the kelly-cock. Since the kellycock is normally in an elevated position in the drilling rig, heretofore such device has been manually closed by one of the derrick hands climbing the drilling rig and engaging an external projection oneach side of the kelly-cock which is connected to the valve internally thereof so that upon rotation of such external projections, the kelly-cock is closed.

In some instances, such procedure may not be effected as quickly as desired, or is extremely difficult to accomplish, and it is desirable therefore, to provide an arrangement for remote actuation of the kelly-cock when desired.

The stem of a rotary swivel or power swivel rotates during drilling or other operations as does the kellycock connected therewith and it is impractical to have any closure device connected between the kelly-cock and swivel or kelly spinner which would interfere with or inhibit such rotation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a relatively simple arrangement which can be carried by the rotary swivel for engaging the kelly-cock and closure thereof from a remote location when desired.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a support means adapted to be mounted on the swivel with means connected with the kelly-cock for moving the kelly-cock to closed position, driver means carried by the support means and movable relative to the support means for moving the means connected with the kelly-cock to effect closing thereof, and means to effect movement of said driver means relative to the support means.

An object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement for remotely closing a kelly-cock.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement for remotely closing a kelly-cock, yet which does not interfere with rotation of the kelly-cock when it is rotated.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an elevation illustrating a rotary swivel having a kelly-cock connected with the swivel stem and a portion of the kelly connected to the kelly-cock, with the present invention mounted on a rotary swivel;

FIG. 2 is a partial elevational view illustrating the components of the form of the invention shown in FIG. 1 when the device has been actuated to close the kellycock; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating one form of the present invention in exploded relationship.

The present invention will be described in detail as being constructed for support on a rotary swivel; however, such is for purposes of illustration only as the invention may be supported on a power swivel or a kelly spinner, both of which devices are well known in the art.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Attention is first directed to FIG. 1 of the drawing wherein a rotary swivel is referred to generally by the numeral 10. The rotary swivel is supported in a derrick (not shown) by means of the bails 11 which extend upwardly to a traveling block (not shown) which traveling block has a plurality of cables reeved thereover and such cables then extend upwardly to a crown block (not shown) in the top of the derrick and one cable extends downwardly to the drawworks which is a drum on which the cables may be reeved or unreeved to raise or lower the traveling block and rotary swivel supported therefrom during drillingoperations.

The rotary swivel also includes what is commonly referred to as a gooseneck 12 with which a flexible hose as referred to at 13 may be connected for supplying drilling fluid through the rotary swivel to be discharged through the rotatable stem 14 of the rotary swivel 10. Such fluid then passes through the kelly-cock referred to generally at 16 and into the noncircular kelly referred to at 17 for subsequent discharge into the drill string and out the drill bit at the lower end of the drill string in the well bore.

The kelly-cock 16 is connected between the rotary swivel stem 14 and the kelly 17 as illustrated in the drawing, FIGS. 1 and 2, and includes an internal valve arrangement to close off the bore of the drill string to inhibit upward movement of drilling fluid back through the swivel.

The kelly-cock 16 is normally provided with external projections on each side so that it may be manually engaged and closed. Such external projections are referred to at 20 in FIGS. 1 and 2, and it will be noted that means referred to generally at 25 are connected to such external projections and upon rotation of the means 25 from the position shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing to the position shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing, the kelly-cock is moved to closed position. As noted, an

external projection is provided on each side ofthe kelly-cock, and the means is illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 3 and includes spaced plates 27 and 28 which may be connected together by any suitable means such as bolt means 30, and if desired provided with a cover plate 31 secured to the plates 27 and 28 by any suitable means. This construction provides an arrangement for engagement by the driver means 35 as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

The kelly-cock 16 is provided on the enlargement 16b with external projections 20 which are engaged with the valve means V internally of the enlargement 16b in a manner well known in the art. The projections 20 are generally in the form of hexagonal nuts in recesses on each side of enlargement 16b.

The means 25 may be engaged with such projections by any suitable means and as shown one suitable arrangement is to provide sockets represented by the numeral 29 on plates 27 and 28 for engaging the hexagonal nuts so that when the means 25 is moved from the position in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. .2, the nuts 20 are rotated and this in turn closes valve V.

As illustrated, the present invention includes support means designated generally at 36 in the form of a plate 37 which may be secured by any suitable means such as bolts 39 or the like to the bottom of the rotary swivel 10. If desired, the plate 36 may be split as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing for ease of mounting and, of course is provided with openings 38 for receiving the bolts 39 therethrough. Of course, the support means 36 may assume any suitable configuration.

The driver means 35 is carried by the support plate 37 by means of the piston and cylinder arrangement referred to generally at 40. Such piston and cylinder arrangement includes any desired number, two being shown, cylinders 41 mounted on the plate 37 and depending therefrom. Pistons (not shown) are provided in each of the cylinders with piston rods 42 secured thereto and extending from the cylinders to be secured in the brackets 43 carried on the driver means 35. The cylinder and piston arrangement is fluid operated, that is, it may be operated either by air or by hydraulics as desired. It can be appreciated that the cylinders 41 could be mounted on the driver plate 37 and the piston rods 42 connected to the support means 36.

The driver plate 37 in the embodiment illustrated in the drawing includes circular plate means 45 which surrounds the tubular extension 16a of the kelly-cock 16, such plate 45 having an opening 46 therein through which the tubular extension 160 is received. The driver means 35 includes stabilizer means referred to generally at 50 to aid in maintaining proper relationship of the plate 45 as it moves relative to the support means 36 and engages the means 25 for closing the kelly-cock 16. Such stabilizer means may assume any suitable configuration and includes, as shown in the embodiment described, a plurality of circumferentially spaced longi' tudinally extending members 51 secured to the plate 45 and extending upwardly to telescope over the guide means 52 secured to and depending from the plate 37 of the support means 36. In the form illustrated, the guide means 52 is in the form ofa sleeve secured to and depending from the plate 37 to at least partially or completely surround the swivel stem 14 to inhibit damage thereto by the stabilizer means 50 and to provide a guide surface for the stabilizer means 50 during movement of the driver means 35. If desired, the guide 4 means 52 may extend from plate 37 to enlargement 16b of kelly-cock 16, in which enlargement is positioned a valve.

Resilient means in the form of spring means are secured between the support means 36 and the driver means 35 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, such means tending to return the driver means 35 to its normally retracted position, as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing when fluid pressure has been released from the cylinders 41. This retracts the present invention from engagement with the kelly-cock so as not to interfere with rotation thereof.

Conduit means are provided for conducting fluid to the cylinders 41, such conduit means extending to a remote location such as a switch adhacent the drawworks, whereby flow of fluid therethrough may be controlled by the driller. As many control switches as desired may be provided at various desired locations on the rig. The flexible conduit 65 may be secured to the conduit 13 as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing.

Generally sp aking, it may be more practical to em- 1 ploy rig air for actuation of the device and it can be appreciated that when the driller desires to move the driver means 35 downwardly against the means 25 to effect rotation thereof to close the kelly-cock 16, the valve at the drillers location may be actuated so that air may be conducted through the flexible conduit 65 to each of the cylinders 41, whereupon the piston and piston rods are moved therein and effect movement of the driver means 35 from the position shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing to that shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing. After the device has been actuated, the driller may release the pressure, and a suitable bleedoff (not shown) releases the pressure in conduit 65 so that the spring 60 may then withdraw the driver 35 to its original position.

At the present time, it is customary to open the kellycock manually after the situation which has required its closure has dissipated.

It can also be appreciated that the present invention may be tied into the blowout preventer control system if desired so that it can be hydraulically operated when the blowout preventer is also operated. Additionally, the present invention could be sonically activated by means of a receiver, solenoid, batteries and recharge able nitrogen storage tank mounted on the swivel.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size, shape, and materials as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is: I

1. An arrangement for use with a swivel having a rotatable stem to remotely close a kelly-cock carried by the rotatable stem and wherein the kelly-cock includes a member having a longitudinal bore therethrough, a valve in the member for controlling flow through the bore, and projection means connected to the valve and extending externally of the kelly-cock for manual engagement to open and close the valve, the improvement comprising:

a. support means;

b. said support means comprising plate means carried by the swivel and guide means depending therefrom and surrounding at least a portion of the swivel stem;

c. means connected with the projection means externally of the kelly-cock for moving the valve in the kelly-cock to closed position;

d. driver means carried by said support means and movable relative to said support means for moving said means connected with the projection means externally of the kelly-cock to effect closing of the valve;

e. said driver means comprising:

1. engaging means to engage said means connected with said projection means; and

2. stabilizer means between said engaging means and said support means to aid in stabilizing said driver means as it moves; and

f. means to effect movement of said driver means relative to said support means; and

means which depends from said support means. 

1. engaging means to engage said means connected with said projection means; and
 1. An arrangement for use with a swivel having a rotatable stem to remotely close a kelly-cock carried by the rotatable stem and wherein the kelly-cock includes a member having a longitudinal bore therethrough, a valve in the member for controlling flow through the bore, and projection means connected to the valve and extending externally of the kelly-cock for manual engagement to open and close the valve, the improvement comprising: a. support means; b. said support means comprising plate means carried by the swivel and guide means depending therefrom and surrounding at least a portion of the swivel stem; c. means connected with the projection means externally of the kelly-cock for moving the valve in the kelly-cock to closed position; d. driver means carried by said support means and movable relative to said support means for moving said means connected with the projection means externally of the kelly-cock to effect closing of the valve; e. said driver means comprising:
 1. An arrangement for use with a swivel having a rotatable stem to remotely close a kelly-cock carried by the rotatable stem and wherein the kelly-cock includes a member having a longitudinal bore therethrough, a valve in the member for controlling flow through the bore, and projection means connected to the valve and extending externally of the kelly-cock for manual engagement to open and close the valve, the improvement comprising: a. support means; b. said support means comprising plate means carried by the swivel and guide means depending therefrom and surrounding at least a portion of the swivel stem; c. means connected with the projection means externally of the kelly-cock for moving the valve in the kelly-cock to closed position; d. driver means carried by said support means and movable relative to said support means for moving said means connected with the projection means externally of the kelly-cock to effect closing of the valve; e. said driver means comprising:
 1. engaging means to engage said means connected with said projection means; and
 2. stabilizer means between said engaging means and said support means to aid in stabilizing said driver means as it moves; and f. means to effect movement of said driver means relative to said support means; and g. said means to effect movement of said driver means including fluid operated piston means and cylinder means with piston rod means connected to the piston means and the cylinder means and piston rod means being connected between said support means and driver means.
 2. The invention of claim 1 including conduit means for conducting fluid to said cylinder means for effecting movement of said driver means.
 2. stabilizer means between said engaging means and said support means to aid in stabilizing said driver means as it moves; and f. means to effect movement of said driver means relative to said support means; and g. said means to effect movement of said driver means including fluid operated piston means and cylinder means with piston rod means connected to the piston means and the cylinder means and piston rod means being connected between said support means and driver means. 